In the field of glass decanters, it is well known that a decanter may be formed by affixing to the neck portion of a receptacle component thereof a pouring spout or neck band assembly to facilitate dispensing of liquids from the decanter. In the conventional decanter, the pouring spout assembly includes an annular band of material, severed at one point to allow expansion and contraction thereof. The annular band is normally mounted on the neck portion of a glass receptacle surrounding a soft, pliable gasket which, when the decanter vessel is assembled, forms a seal between the band and the neck portion of the receptacle. The band is brought together and joined in sealing fashion by a bolt or rivet. A conventional decanter of this nature is illustrated, for example, in Harold Bloomfield, et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,025, owned by the assignee of the present invention.
While the decanter of Bloomfield U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,025 has been well accepted commercially, there are several heretofore unsolved problems with such a prior art structure. For example, a number of parts must be utilized to form the decanter vessel, resulting in larger than necessary material and fabrication costs for the commercial product. Secondly, because the seal between the neck band and the neck portion of the receptacle is provided by a flexible gasket, a defective gasket or improper assembly of the decanter vessel can result in loosening of the neck band and leakage of liquid between the neck band and the neck of the decanter; in any event, such a construction tends to leak after long or hard use. Thirdly, due to the necessity of a separate, flexible gasket in the decanter vessel, this type of device has required a relatively elongated, vertical neck portion to be formed in the glass receptacle, leading to difficulty in pouring liquid from the decanter. Not only is the decanter difficult to empty completely without substantially inverting it, rapid pouring of the liquid within the receptacle from the decanter tends to cause the liquid to separate from the pouring spout portion of the neck band and pour directly from the receptacle, not passing over the spout. The resulting turbulant flow of the liquid poured from the decanter vessel tends to cause excessive splashing.
Attempts to overcome the shortcomings of prior art decanter devices have met with varying degress of success. For example, Fiorini U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,045 is directed to an apparatus with a unitary pouring spout structure which is force-fitted onto the neck of the glass receptacle with a flexible gasket therebetween. However, due to the nature of the structure, assembly is difficult and results in a number of broken decanters. Furthermore, if the close tolerances required to obtain a tight force fit between the pouring spout and the neck of the glass receptacle are not met, a loose and therefore leaking seal results. Also, since a tall neck portion is required of the glass receptacle, the same pouring difficulties inherent in the device of Bloomfield U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,025 occur when liquid is rapidly poured from a Fiorini type decanter.
The applicant is also aware of a number of glass decanters produced by the Wilbur Curtis Co., Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. in which a unitary pouring spout structures was affixed to a glass receptacle with an epoxy resin. However, it was found that the epoxy formed a rigid seal between the pouring spout and the glass receptacle causing the neck to break from the glass receptacle as the pouring spout contracted during shipping in sub-freezing temperatures. In addition, the epoxy resin does not adhere well to polypropylene material which normally forms the unitary pouring spout, allowing the seal between the pouring spout and the glass decanter to readily be broken and causing fluid leakage therebetween.
The applicant is further aware of additional patents relating to decanter vessels of the prior art. These are Glass U.S. Pat. 2,807,944, Fischer U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,169, Eisendrath, et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,822, Anderson, et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,227, Bloomfield, et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,330,449 and 3,491,924, Hester U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,580, and Bloomfield Canadian Pat. No. 785,082. Each of the decanter vessels disclosed in these patents is of conventional nature of Bloomfield, et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,025, and suffers the same disadvantages outlined above.